"Let me know when dinner's here." Chris walked into his room and shut the door.

Joey watched Chris walk dejectedly out of the room and shook his head. "Why can't he just face Stephanie?"

"I don't know, Joey. I don't know."

"I wish we did, JC. I really wish we did. If neither of them do something soon I'm going to act."

"And what are we going to do?" Justin spoke up.

JC's eyes narrowed. "Did you just say 'we', Timberlake?"

"Yup, I did. We need to help them. He's nowhere near his old energetic self and she's darker than she was when we met her. They're both alive only when they are near each other."

"Do you happen to notice they fight and act rash around each other?"

"JC, look at it this way. When they are away from each other they are sad and depressed, but when they are together they both have life in their eyes. Even if it's not the most positive glint. They both seem to have purpose when they argue."

"I agree with him. If something doesn't happen fast we all are going to be miserable. They will indirectly send their misery to us. Whether we like it or not."

JC looked at Lance and shook his head in agreement. "You're right something has to be done."

"About what?"

Four heads turned to see Chris standing in the doorway then at each other. They could not tell if Chris had caught the topic of the conversation. The look on his face was unreadable.

Lance was the first one to think of an answer.

"About those opening costumes. I can't pull the Chinese kind of look off."

A slow smile spread across Chris' face. "I'm proud of you Poo Foo. You came up with a line of garbage before anyone else did. I expect that of Justin. He's the one with the most to hide from the fans."

Justin took a deep breath before talking. "What are you talking about Chris?"

"You're the favorite. All the girls love you. You need to hide the truth the most." Justin could sense the false bitterness in his voice.

"Chris, I know you better than that. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? My best friends are talking about what's best for my life and they don't even have the courage to do it in front of me."

Joey hid his surprise well. "What are we saying behind your back?"

Chris had enough of skirting the issue. He blew up on his groupmates, his brothers. "You're talking about Stephanie and me. It's my damn life. Let me live it the way I want to."

"But you're doing a horrible job at it!"

Chris turned to face Justin. Everyone stood still, shocked at Justin's outburst.

"I'm doing a horrible job at it? Please expand on that one my young friend."

"Look at you. You sit alone and don't react to anyone or anything. You're usually the one with the most to say. I never hear you talk except at interviews and when you have to. Don't be mad at us for being worried about you. We're your friends. I'm sorry if we're acting that way."

"Friends? Friends talk behind your back? Friends plan what you should do about your love life?"

"Yeah, if they're worried about you they can. Chris we are worried more than words can say. You're our brother, my partner in crime, and you've been doing a lousey job at those jobs."

"Have I ever let you down at a concert or any signings? Meet and greets? Showed any emotion but happy around the public?"

Four heads shook the answer 'no.'

"Then what's the problem?"

Joey could not take this anymore. "The problem is that you're our friend off stage and we have to live with you. The whole group is not the same when one is out of whack."

"So I'm out of whack? Well, friends, if there was anything I could do to get back 'in whack' I'd do it but there isn't."

"Yes there is," JC whispered.

"What can I do? Tell Stephanie I still love her. Let her tear my heart apart again? I'm sorry, but..umm..no. I don't think so."

"Stephanie loves you too. Why don't you try?"

"She loves me? I'm sorry. Did I miss something? She still accepted a proposal from another guy after I told her how I felt. Yeah, I can tell she really loves me."

"Chris, don't you remember. She broke it off after a few weeks. I find the fact that she was content with Ben before you told her how you felt, then broke off an engagement to him after she found out something. Don't you?"

"So if I talk to Stephanie all will be right with the world?"

Justin smiled. "Maybe not the whole world but your world. And ours."

"With your world? As I recall I'm not the only one thinking about a girl and doing nothing about it."

Justin shot JC an alarmed look. JC put his hands up and shook his head. He did not tell the other guys anything.

"What are you talking about Chris?" Justin asked cautiously.

"What am I talking about?" Chris looked around the room. "He asks what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the fact you've fallen for Winnie and haven't done anything about it."

Justin opened his mouth but Chris continued before any sound escaped. "Don't think we haven't noticed. It's plain to the naked eye. I'm not the only one hiding from exposing myself to a female. You're just as guilty of it yourself."

Justin hung his head in defeat. "You're right. I do like Winnie. I like her a lot. I want to speak to her. I'm just afraid. You on the other hand don't even want to talk to Stephanie. You're running from her. I'm trying to find a way to Winnie. There's a difference here."

Chris' mouth hung open. He knew Justin was mature for his age but did not expect him to be saying these things. It caught Chris off guard.

The five men sat silently waiting for one of them to speak. To Chris' relief their dinner came before the conversation could continue.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Winnie and Stephanie sat in the kitchen laughing. They had been hashing out date horror stories.

"Then he took out his wallet and found no money in it."

This was too much for Stephanie. She double over barely being able to breathe. "You mean he took you out for your birthday and he didn't have any money to pay for it?"

Winnie shook her head. "Yup. His brother had borrowed money from him without telling him about it." Winnie needed a minute before she could continue. "It was an expensive resturant too."

"What did you do?"

"I obviously didn't have enough money for it. So I paid for it with the emergency credit card my dad gave me. I think Brian's still paying him back."

"Alright that was bad but I think I've got the winner."

"Oohhh, do tell." Winnie sat forward with interest.

"Okay. It was my first date after Ben and I broke up. I know you're thinking "What about Chris?". It was all my sister's doing. Her husband's co-worker was coming to town to visit."

"Oh no. Not one of those 'He doesn't know what to do. Why don't you show him around?' dates."

Stephanie shook her head. "Exactly."

"I already have a feeling you're going to win, but I want to hear the story."

"Here it goes. Date from hell- take one. He gets to my door and- Wait maybe I should tell you his name first. His name was Phil and he had to tell me what his friends call him."

"Dare I ask?"

"No, but I'm going to tell you anyway. It was one of the first things he told me. His nickname was, get this, Phil the Thrill. No, really."

The two women could not speak. Winnie tried to stand up but could not. She was laughing to hard.

Stephanie waved her hand in the air. "Let me finish while I can. First he came to the door with a dozen roses. Strike one. Then he wanted to go to a club. He couldn't dance for his life. The problem was he didn't know that. Strike two. Oh, I forgot to tell you. On the way to the club he put his hand on my theigh while I was driving. That was strike two. The dancing was strike three."

"He struck out within the first..."

"Thirty minutes of the date. It all went downhill from there."

"You mean it got worse?"

"Much. If it was a baseball game I would have pitched a perfect game."

"Oh no." Winnie stood up and raised Stephanie's arm. "Ladies and gentleman we have a winner."

The oven beeped as Stephanie bowed in her seat. "I can't believe it's midnight already."

Winnie's head turned to look at the clock on the stove. "Oh my gosh, midnight? You know what it's a perfect time for?"

"What?"

"Cookies!"

A serious look covered Stephanie's face. "Now, Winnie, you're a bad influence on me. What am I to do with you?"

Winnie thought for a second and shrugged. "Love me?"

The smile Stephanie was hiding snuck out. She walked over to the younger woman and gave her a hug. "I guess that will have to do. How about we get Justin to do the same thing?"

Winnie nodded her head in agreement.

"What's with the hesitation?"

"I'm sorry I'm just thinking about what that psychic said."

"Don't worry about that. She works at a state fair. What credentials do you think she had to have? Can you speak English and Spanish?"

*** FLASHBACK ***

Winnie and Stephanie were about to leave the fair when a colorful tent caught her eye.

"Hey, Winnie, lets go there." She pointed to the tent.

Winnie shook her head violently. "No, no way am I going to see a psychic. Uh-huh. You can't make me."

"Wanna bet." Stephanie took her arm and led her to the tent. The women walked between the open flaps and were not suprised as what they saw.

Inside the tent was a round table, three chairs, a chrystal ball and a deck of tarot cards. After sitting in the chairs a woman dressed in a gypsy outfit appeared. She sat down in the third chair.

"So why do you come to Madam Sophia?" She stared at Stephanie then at Winnie. She continued before either had a chance to answer. "Ahh, you come about love."

Winnie shook her head. "Not me. She dragged me here. I'm here as an observer."

Madam Sophia looked confused. "She does not need Madam Sophia's help. Everything's going to be all right with her heart. But you my dear," she pointed to Winnie, "are in need of help. Your heart doesn't know what it wants."

"My heart is working fine. There is no problem in here." She pointed to her chest.

"Please excuse my friend. She's just not into the psychic realm. Please go on. I want to hear this." Stephanie encouraged the woman.

The woman shuffled the tarot cards and slowly dealt them in some formation. She studied them closely nodding and saying "um-hmm" as she studied them.

This was driving Winnie crazy. After a few minutes she exploded. "What do you see?"

"I thought you didn't want to hear what she wants to say."

"I really don't care but since we're here I want to know what lines she feeds me."

"Lines I feed you, dear. I am in no way like a guy who wants to pick you up. There are enough of those around."

Stephanie's ears perked up. "Do you mean there's more than one guy after her this summer."

Madam Sophie nodded her head. "Oh yes. I see a very talented man."

"Talented in what way. As in sports or musically?" Stephanie was asking the questions but Winnie was listening intently.

"Let me look into my chrystal ball. Let's see. Both. I see him singing on a stage in front of an audience and loving every minute of it. The next vision I get is of some kind of court. I think it's a basketball court. Yes, it is. And for some reason the ball is blue. Maybe his favorite color is blue and it's also a color that represents a team he watches."

Her words excited Winnie. She said he sings in front of an audience, plays basketball and his favorite color is blue, possibly after a basketball team he likes. That sounds exactly like Justin. Maybe she knows what she's talking about. Winnie's happiness was shattered by what Madam Sophia told her next.

"I'm also seeing a beach with letters written in the sand. Let me write down the letters before the tide washes them away." The older woman grabbed a business card from the table and a pen from her bag and scribbled the initials on it. When she was done she passed it to Winnie.

Winnie looked at the initials and her face fell. The first set were W.B. and the second were not what she wanted to see. They were not J.T.

Stephanie noticed the somber look on Winnie's face. "Winnie what's wrong?"

Winnie wordlessly passed the card to Stephanie. "Oh, Winnie-"

"Wait I see more. I see a rock with a bee swarming above it."

"A rock with a bee? What does that mean?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I've never seen anything like it before. Maybe you'll meet him near a rock or it's telling you to be a rock. I honestly can't tell you."

Winnie sighed and left the tent. Stephanie paid Madam Sophia and went after her employee.

*** END FLASHBACK ***

Stephanie held Winnie's chin so their brown eyes met. "Hey, kiddo, remember what she said? Everything but the initials fit Justin's description."

Winnie thought for a moment. "You're right. Plus, remember that 'be a rock' thing. And what credentials does she have? She only works at a state fair."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

It was Sunday morning and the guy's plane was was due to land shortly.

"Winnie tell me again why we're here at," Stephanie looked at her watch, "quarter to six in the morning."

"Because we wanted to surprise the guys."

Stephanie shook her head. "I can't believ I agreed to this. Oh well, this is what I get for staying up 'til four in the morning and still trying to think coherently."

"Come on. They're going to be landing soon." Winnie grabbed Stephanie's sleeve and pulled her towards the gate.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"Hey, JC, get up. We're getting ready to land."

JC shifted in his seat but didn't open his eyes.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Let's get some of those fans back in coach to wake him up. I'm sure they'd have no problems trying to wake him with a kiss."

Joey's comment woke JC up. The others laughed as JC's head knocked against Chris' who was sleeping next to him.

"Ouch, man, couldn't you find a less painful way of waking me up."

"Sorry, Chris, Joey just threatened me with a wake-up call worse than that."

A smile worked it's way onto Chris' face. It was a real one and JC congratulated himself.

"Yeah, I heard it." He looked between the seats at his friend. "I'm proud of you, Joseph. Couldn't have done better myself."

"Thanks, Christopher. I learned everything from you."

"I know. I'm the master." Chris turned to look out the window. A voice from the seat in front of him shook him out of his thoughts.

"Wouldn't it be cool if Winnie and Stephanie were at the gate waiting for us?"

"Justin, I think all this thinking about Winnie is effecting your brain. It's quarter to six in the morning and she's going to be right there at the gate waiting for us."

Justin pouted. "Hey it's possible."

JC laughed. "It's possible, but unlikely. The fact that she won't be there is a bet even I'd take."

"A bet huh? How about if she isn't there I have to wash your truck every week for a month?"

"Alright. And if she is then you have two weeks to tell her how you feel or I'll do it."

"Hey, that's not fair. You have to do something for me."

"I will be doing something for you. I'll be telling the girl you like your feelings for her when you should be doing it. I think that's fair. What do you think guys?"

The two heard three different forms of agreements from their friends.

"Okay, it's a bet." Justin stuck his hand out and JC shook it.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"What's the rush? We still have ten minutes before they arrive and, in my experience, planes never arrive on time."

"It's possible that the plane will be on time."

"Yeah it's possible, but unlikely. I'll bet you it will be late."

"Bet? What do you wanna bet?"

"Winnie, I was kidding. I don't want to bet you."

"What chicken?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Are we even having this conversation?"

"Yup. How about if they're late I have to buy you lunch for a week?"

"A week? That sounds too good to pass up. Okay. Let me think." She paused for a moment. "If they're on time you have two weeks to tell Justin your feelings for him or I'll do it for you."

"That's not fair. You have to do something for me. How does that help me?"

"I'd be doing something you're afraid of doing. I'd be telling the guy you like about your feelings. I think that constitutes as doing something for you."

Winnie was about to protest again when the person sitting behind her interrupted. "She's right honey. She would be doing something for you."

Winnie sighed and shook Stephanie's outstretched hand.

"Flight 314 from New York City has just arrived. Meet your arriving party at gate C13."

Stephanie looked Winnie in the eye and mouthed, "Two weeks."

Winnie shook her head in understanding.

"Joey, what are you doing?"

The women stood up as they heard Lance's cry come from the door to the jetway.

"He's rushing to give me a hug."

The five guys stopped upon hearing Winnie's voice. "Winnie?"

"In the flesh. Look who I dragged with me." She pulled Stephanie into view.

"Stephanie?" Chris was bewildered to see her there. As the others waited to see who was going to win the bet he thought about seeing Stephanie. He knew he wanted to see her but was scared at the same time.

Stephanie looked into his eyes. They were both overwhelmed with the feelings cursing through their bodies. Their trance was broken by Lance.

"Guys, we've got to go before we get mobbed." The seven of them ran through the airport, surrounded by security, to the waiting bus.

On the bus JC watched the two women, not believing he lost the bet. I think Justin will thank me when this is all said and done.

"Justin?"

Justin swung his head to look at JC. JC did not need to say anything. Justin knew what JC was thinking and shook his head.

"Two beautiful, single," he looked at Justin, then Chris, "girls here. Who do I hug first?"

Stephanie needed to get her thoughts off Chris. "How about both?" Stephanie and Winnie stepped into his open arms.

"Ahem."

Winnie and Stephanie looked at each other and nodded. They walked towards Lance as if they were about to hug him, but changed stances as they neared him.

"Uh-oh. Why am I afraid of the looks in your eyes? Get away from me."

"Now, Lance, we are just two helpless girls. Why would you be afraid of us?"

"Because you're not helpless, neither of you." Lance backed up as he talked. All of a sudden he fell as he backed into a couch. Stephanie and Winnie took advantage of the situation and started tickling him. "No! Guys help. Please. You might be less a number unless someone stops them."

Justin walked up to Winnie and pulled her off Lance. "Come on, you two, we need a bass singer, but if he dies we might get a better dancer." Justin pretended to think about what he had said.

"Justin, buddy, think of what you're saying. You might get a younger guy who would take fans away from you."

"Now it's settled. You can't kill him."

"Oh pooh."

"Oh pooh. What harsh language, Ms. Brooks. I am shocked and appalled." Justin realized he still had his arms around her waist. Since she did not complain or move he held on.

"Well, I try." Winnie also realized where his arms were. She was not about to complain.

"Hey, what am I chopped liver? Where are my hugs?"

Winnie laughed. "What? Not get enough action in New York, Joey?"

"Not like this." He walked up and gave Winnie a bear hug. Joey looked up and saw the disappointed look on Justin's face and let go.